Hump Day Highlights

FROM THE DESK OF CLEARANCEJOBS.COM

Taking on city hall. Contributor Charles Simmins reports, “Since the public announcements, a number of lawsuits have been filed against the OPM and other Federal agencies. Some have been filed by unions representing Federal employees while others have been filed by individuals who have been notified that their information was stolen. The barrage of lawsuits is similar to what occurred after similar data breaches at Target and other private companies.”

Transition success. Editor Lindy Kyzer offers, “If you’re the kind of guy or girl who likes to get things from point A to B but does not like someone telling you how to do it, consider logistics. A logistics professional works under pressure to get goods where they need to go. In the case of defense industry logistics, this may mean getting millions of dollars in equipment overseas on a time crunch. Those with ulcers need not apply, but if you have an attention to detail and the ability – perhaps literally – to move mountains when necessary, logistics can be a great career.”

THE FORCE AND THE FIGHT

Asian pivot: Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Strategy. Reuters reports, “The United States plans to increase the number of military and humanitarian drills it conducts in the Asia-Pacific as part of a new strategy to counter China’s rapid expansion in the South China Sea, the Philippine military said on Wednesday. Admiral Harry Harris, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, highlighted key aspects of the Pentagon’s freshly drafted Asia Pacific Maritime Security Strategy during talks with his Filipino counterpart, General Hernando Iriberri, during a visit to Manila.” Read the Asia Pacific Maritime Security Strategy. See also, “U.S. Outlines Asia-Pacific Maritime Security Strategy” and “CNO Richardson Invited To Visit China.”

Abdul Aziz Haqqani makes the list. The Long War Journal’s Bill Roggio reports, “The US added a brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the deputy leader of the Taliban and operational leader of the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani Network, to its list of Specially Designated Global terrorists. The State Department had previously offered a $5 million reward for Abdul Aziz Haqqani for targeting Coalition troops and leading the Kabul Attack Network. State described Aziz as ‘a senior member of the Haqqani Network and brother to Haqqani Network leader Sirajuddin Haqqani.’ Aziz replaced Badruddin Haqqani, his brother, who was killed in a US drone strike in August 2012, as a senior military commander.”

ISIS buckles under Peshmerga onslaught. Rudaw reports, “Kurdish forces launched a massive early Wednesday assault on Islamic State-held villages in southern Kirkuk province with Peshmerga leaders saying the campaign will last until ISIS is gone. With reports still coming in from the front, Rudaw’s Hiwa Hisamadin estimated that 18 ISIS fighters had been killed and a number of villages recaptured in Daquq district less than 40km south of Kirkuk city.”

CONTRACT WATCH

Oshkosh (b’gosh) wins JLTV $30 billion. Defense One’s Marcus Weisgerber and Patrick Tucker report, “Oshkosh won the Pentagon’s $30 billion sweepstakes to replace the U.S. Army’s Humvee with up to 55,000 new Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, or JLTVs, over the next 25 years . . . . The Army awarded a $6.7 billion contract Tuesday to Oshkosh for an initial batch of 17,000 vehicles for the Army and Marine Corps. Production will begin in the first quarter of fiscal 2016 . . . with a later decision on the full scale of production to come in 2018, the year the vehicles are expected to be ready for battle.” See also, “Oshkosh Beats Lockheed, AM General For Historic JLTV Win” and “Oshkosh Wins $6.7 Billion JLTV Contract.”

Rockwell Collins-ESA Vision Systems wins Navy $20 million. Military & Aerospace Electronics Editor John Keller reports, “Officials of the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., are asking Rockwell Collins-ESA Vision Systems to provide 120 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System Night Vision Cueing and Display (NVCD) systems, 30 helmet mounted display test sets, and 120 interim spares. The NVCD is part of the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), which projects symbology and imagery onto the pilot’s helmet-mounted visor to help meet the workload of operating the aircraft; detecting, tracking, and engaging targets; and dealing with emergency situations. It enables high-performance jet fighter and bomber pilots to cue weapons and sensors at night.”

TECH, PRIVACY, & SECRECY

Black Dart and drone wars. National Defense Magazine’s Yasmin Tadjdeh reports, “On a strip of marshland abutting the Pacific Ocean, the buzz of drones could be heard flying overhead. In the adjacent flight line, a handful of unmanned aerial systems — ranging from a tiny hexacopter to a massive MQ-9 Reaper — waited their turns to take to the skies. It was here at Naval Base Ventura County Sea Range that the Defense Department’s largest live-fly, live-fire counter-drone demonstration took place in late July. The two-week long exercise, known as ‘Black Dart,’ drew about 700 military personnel and members of industry to test new anti-unmanned aerial vehicle technology.”

Utility cybersecurity. Homeland Security News Wire reports, “The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) is requesting comments on a draft guide to help energy companies better control who has access to their networked resources, including buildings, equipment, information technology, and industrial control systems. The center, part of the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), works with IT developers and providers to help businesses reduce their cyber risk.” Read (and comment) on NIST Cybersecurity Practice Guide, Special Publication 1800-2: “Identity and Access Management for Electric Utilities.” See also, “State entities vulnerable to cyberattack.”

F-35’s Helmet Mounted Display System. Defense Tech’s Brendan McGarry reports, “The U.S. Air Force wants to use another word to describe the expensive, high-tech helmet that can ‘see through’ windowless parts of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. When asked about the price tag for the pilot gear — which has ranged from $400,000 to $800,000 apiece — Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said he didn’t know its unit cost and that it won’t be finalized until the hardware enters production. But he did have this to say about the technology: ‘The helmet is much more than a helmet, the helmet is a work space’ . . . .”

POTOMAC TWO-STEP

Crazy train. “The White House on Tuesday walked back on President Obama’s comments during a Nevada fundraiser Monday night when he referred to some of his political opponents in Congress as ‘crazies.’ In his comments at the fundraiser, president acknowledged that he was back from vacation feeling ‘refreshed, renewed, recharged’ and ‘a little feisty.’ . . . Some reporters and critics immediately interpreted the ‘crazies’ comment as referring to those opposing the Iran nuclear deal. The White House Tuesday denied that it was a reference to Iran deal opponents but admitted the president was ‘flip’ with his language.”

Cheney on Iran. “Former Vice President Dick Cheney will deliver remarks on the embattled Iran nuclear deal early next month. The speech will take place Sept. 8 at the American Enterprise Institute, the Washington-based think tank announcement Monday. Cheney, who has previously expressed his concern about the likelihood of Iran adhering to the parameters of the deal, will speak on the ‘deal’s consequences for the security and interests of the United States and its allies in the Middle East’ . . . .”

OPINIONS EVERYONE HAS

New U.S. Security Strategy Doesn’t Go Far Enough on South China Sea.” Wall Street Journal contributor Andrew Erickson argues, “From the start, the strategy goes too far in attempting even-handedness, employing equivalency language suggesting that multiple claimants are at fault—even as it documents that China has committed the lion’s share of recent negative behaviors, and has amassed capabilities dwarfing those of all other SCS neighbors combined. It should go further and state clearly that Beijing’s 9-dash line claim has no basis in international law.”

What the blow up between North and South Korea may really have been about.” Reuters contributor Bill Johnson argues, “In the end, this episode is likely to have been mostly about food and fuel. I predict that after these face-saving exits by both Koreas, China will give the North whatever it really wanted in the first place.”

Bullied at work.” Fast Company contributor Art Markman offers, “Having friends in the office makes work significantly more enjoyable. Your relationships with your coworkers are so important, in fact, that they can make a bad job bearable and a good job untenable.”

THE FUNNIES

Anchor babies.

Communications gap.

Medieval hard drives.

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Ed Ledford enjoys the most challenging, complex, and high stakes communications requirements. His portfolio includes everything from policy and strategy to poetry. A native of Asheville, N.C., and retired Army Aviator, Ed’s currently writing speeches in D.C. and working other writing projects from his office in Rockville, MD. He loves baseball and enjoys hiking, camping, and exploring anything. Follow Ed on Twitter @ECLedford.